Jacksonville division chief fired, accused of forging documents

Senior staffer resigns after pair was caught rigging documents.

A Jacksonville division chief was fired Monday and one of her senior staffers resigned after they were caught forging documents on behalf of businesses they were supposed to regulate.

The moves come after a three-month investigation launched to determine how an unqualified company got city park work, contracts that have since gotten the attention of the FBI.

Equal Business Opportunity Division Chief Ivy Johnson and Cesar Matos, a senior specialist in the department, had been the focus of an internal investigation and on paid leave for six weeks.

Two other employees who had been on leave during the investigation, Junice Battle and Ephesians Bartley II, were cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to work Monday.

This is the same office that was roundly criticized in an audit last week that found employees spent hours surfing the Internet because they didn’t have enough work to do.

The Inspector General’s Office investigation released Monday showed Johnson and Matos were using their city computers to forge documents that were made to look like they came from companies seeking city work.

But they were penned by Johnson and Matos, said Devin Reed, the city’s director of central operations, which included the EBO office.

The investigation stems from three park building and renovation contracts totaling $458,000 awarded to Arnett Contracting, a company not licensed for the work.

Owner Anthony Arnett, who is only licensed to do underground utility work, has said he thought he could bid on the jobs and then hire a general contractor to do the work.

A Times-Union review last month of Johnson’s e-mails showed she appeared to write several letters for Arnett after he sent her notes and blank company letterhead. Arnett has denied the allegation.

When contacted last week, Johnson declined to comment and referred questions to her attorney. Bill Sheppard did not return a phone call seeking comment Monday.

Arnett is one of close to 500 companies certified in the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business program. When any of those companies wins a city contract, the EBO office is responsible for making sure the companies are licensed for the jobs they are awarded, Reed said.

Sometime around August or September, Reed said, Johnson unilaterally changed city policy and stopped checking to see if companies were licensed for certain work, such as building construction or electrical work.

Other city departments thought that was being done and that’s how Arnett ended up doing three park projects, Reed said. The bids for those three projects — Singleton Park, along with Bethesda and Emmett Reed Community Centers — were awarded in August and September.

Arnett is a longtime contractor and project estimator who started his business three years ago. Since 2008, has received more than $7 million in city contracts, all for underground work, before the three parks projects.

The city discovered he wasn’t licensed after a payment dispute with a subcontractor.

As the city inspector general looked into Arnett’s contracts, it found Matos was also creating documents for companies. The city requires a slew of paperwork for companies looking to be certified, including minutes from corporate board meetings and records showing stock transfers.

After employees — including Battle and Bartley — asked for some missing paperwork from the companies, Matos created them on his computer and they were presented as having come directly from the companies, the city said.

This month, the FBI served a search warrant at Arnett’s Southside office building. Arnett said at the time he was told he was not the target of any investigation and that agents took his computer and files relating to the three park projects.

FBI spokesman Jeff Westcott has said the investigation involves city contracts but will not discuss the potential subjects of the probe, including Arnett.

Westcott said Monday the Arnett warrant is the only one served in the investigation.

Wo-Hen Nankan, The Asian Prince (not gay)
Please do not judge all Asians by me as I am not a typical Asian.

0 points

Asian Prince

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 @ 2:15 pm

Where do you get off saying Bill Sheppard is a crooked lawyer? He is a most respected and ethical lawyer. Even judges listen closely when he speaks. He has also done a lot of pro bono work as well.
If you are ever falsely charged with a serious crime, I'll bet you would want him to defend you. LOL .
Now I challenge you to prove his "crookedness" or STFU!

This isn't surprising in the least considering the rest of our local government. I wonder how long this has been going on.

Why were they not arrest for forgery?? If this had been an "average citizen" they would have already been to first appearance. But no... since it's governmental crime, apparently being embarrassed is supposedly enough for the SA. What a joke.